Être & Avoir
To Be & To Have

Use ÊTRE for: identity, nationality, profession, origin, characteristics

✅ Je suis brésilien(ne). — I am Brazilian.

✅ Elle est médecin. — She is a doctor.

✅ Nous sommes étudiants. — We are students.

✅ Il est de Paris. — He is from Paris.

Use AVOIR for: possession, age, physical sensations

✅ J'ai vingt ans. — I am 20 years old. (lit. "I have 20 years")

✅ Tu as faim? — Are you hungry? (lit. "Do you have hunger?")

✅ Elle a une voiture rouge. — She has a red car.

💡 In French you "have" hunger, thirst, cold, hot — not "are"!

These use AVOIR where English uses "to be":

✅ avoir faim = to be hungry (lit. have hunger)

✅ avoir soif = to be thirsty (lit. have thirst)

✅ avoir froid/chaud = to be cold/hot

✅ avoir peur = to be afraid (lit. have fear)

✅ avoir raison = to be right

With AVOIR, the "s" links to the next vowel:

✅ nous avons → [noo-ZAH-von] (the S links)

✅ vous avez → [voo-ZAH-vay]

✅ ils ont → [eel-ZON]

✅ j'ai → [ZHAY] (je + ai = j'ai, never "je ai")